Milbank City Council Proceedings January 12, 2026
Milbank City Council Proceedings January 12, 2026 January 12, 2026
Call to Order – The City Council met in regular session on January 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the Visitor Center, 1001 East Fourth Avenue, with Mayor Raffety presiding.
Roll Call – Present were Mayor Raffety and Councilmembers Roger Briggs, Ryan Gruba, Josh Karels, Mindy Rogers, and John Weyh. Craig Weinberg absent. Staff present included Attorney Mark Reedstrom, Steve Pendergrass, Cynthia Schumacher, Corey Hooth, Jeremy Breon, and Boyd VanVooren. Members of the public present included Tim Brown, Roger Hoff, Noel Cummins, Jason Sackreiter, Shana Vander, Jamine Henderson, and Mike Hanson.
Agenda – A motion was made and seconded to adopt the agenda and approve the consent agenda. Motion carried 5-0.
Consent Agenda
1. Approve minutes from the December 8 & 29 meetings.
2. Approve the claims list.
Adobe, subscription, $(64.68); Advanced Technologies Inc., shipping/supplies. $727.94; Agtegra, gas, $8,062.45; Allen, Matthew, employee holiday expense, $160.00; Amazon, parts/supplies/equipment, $1,269.48; Appl, Wayne, employee holiday expense, $160.00; AT&T, cell phone/WIFI, $751.92; Auto Value Parts Store, parts/supplies, $8.17; Autoauth Subscription, subscription, $60.00; AutoMaxx, vehicle repairs, $11,507.94; Avera Occupational Medicine, testing, $75.40; Banner Associates, Inc., engineering, $71,924.20; Basin Construction & Drain, Lake Farley storm shelter, $84,502.50; Berens Market, supplies, $12.33; Berkner Excavating & Drain, main repairs, $961.74; Breon, Esther, cleaning service, $359.50; Card Pointe, card fees, $565.06; Carquest, parts, $561.81; Cole Papers, supplies, $1,188.81; Colliers Securities, filing fee, $300.00; Corporate Technologies, IT managed services, $5,133.63; DANR, permit fee, $3,500.00; Doheny’s Commercial, boiler, $4,377.00; Eastside Car Wash, truck wash usage, parts, $369.62; Electric Pump, pump repairs, $7,717.63; First District Assn of Local Govn’t, dues/GIS web agreement, $15,595.32; Food-N-Fuel, gas, $126.19; Good Sportsman Marketing, subscription, $20.00; Grant County Auditor, county services, $1,000.00; Grant County Historical Society, building displays, $3,000.00; Grant County Review, publications, $2,355.96; Grant Roberts Rural Water, water service, $62.00; Hach Company, supplies/chemicals, $190.68; Hasslen Construction, water project/Unity repairs, $211,841.21; Hawkins, Inc., chemicals, $13,495.34; Helms & Associates, engineering, $797.71; Inland Truck Parts & Service, parts, $171.65; ITC, phone/internet, $1,985.85; iWorq Systems Inc., software, $14,500.00; J&J Earthworks ,snow removal/parts, $9,099.27; John Deere, parts/repairs, $1,147.94; Kwik Trip, gas, $279.64; Larson Elevator Co., maintenance, $283.52; Lewis Drug Stores, supplies, $33.98; Linde Gas & Equipment, air system maint., $64.50; LL & Sons Excavating Inc., Industrial Park Project, $20,531.02; Magedanz Electric LLC, install electrical, $496.37; Metropolitain Compounds, supplies, $737.93; Michael Todd & Co, tools, $276.44; Milbank Area Chamber, ol mill bucks, $200.00; Milbank Winwater, parts, $581.94; MnN Cleaning Services, cleaning, $3,800.00; NAPA Auto Parts, parts, $1,613.14; Newage Products, work bench, $610.64; Norm’s Auto & Truck Repair, vehicle repair, $310.00; NW Energy, natural gas, $547.26; O’Brien, Annie, employee holiday expense, $160.00; O’Reilly Automotive Inc., parts, $144.99; Otter Tail Power, electric/relocate, $30,360.52; Page, Dave, employee holiday expense, $160.00; Petty Cash, shipping/supplies, $163.17; Quick Pro Lube, vehicle service, $81.99; Racarie, HR software, $109.99; Reedstrom, Mark, retainer, $1,000.00; Rockbot, subscription, $31.86; Roger’s Electric Motor, parts, $21.65; Runnings Supply, parts/supplies, $1,942.36; Scribe, subscription, $58.00; SDML Workers Comp Fund, wc insurance, $47,443.00; Shade Valley Farms, FBO Agreement, $750.00; Share Corp, supplies, $595.56; Sportsmith, weight stack cable, $106.67; Star Laundry & Cleaners, laundry service, $456.23; T&T Heating & AC, furnace repair, $168.30; The Bank, meeting expense, $150.16; The Radar Shop, service/repairs, $192.50; Time Clock Plus, software license, $12,664.20; Traffic Safety Warehouse, parts, $5,175.40; Trojan Technologies Copr, parts, $1,908.49; Twin Valley Tire, tire service/tires, $1,703.85; US Bank, bond payment, $52,951.51; US Postal Service, billing expense, $600.00; USA Bluebook, testing supplies/ spectrophotometer, $11,283.16; Valley Rental & Recycling LLC, recycling agreement, $650.00; VanVooren, Boyd, clothing allowance, $100.00; Walmart, screen, $263.38; Weber, Donald, insurance deductible, $1,724.60; Wegner Auto Co., 2026 squad vehicle, $41,972.00; Wellmark, cobra, $2,147.67; Whetstone Home Center, supplies/ parts, $532.32; Whetstone Valley Electric, electric/repairs, $3,602.70; WM Corporate Services, garbage service, $2,874.05; Xerox, copier leases, $503.14; Zoom Video Communications, subscription, $18.04.
$734,719.41
3. Treasurer’s Report.
4. Designate the Grant County Review as the official city newspaper for FY 2026.
5. Accept the resignation of Sharon Pinkert from the Planning & Zoning Commission.
6. Approve annual GIS development and hosting agreement with First District Association of Local Governments, $4,750.
Public Comments: Noel Cummins voiced frustration over the snow removal procedures at intersections.
Employee Recognition – Mayor Raffety thanked Jeff Loutsch (4), Mekenna Pendergrass (2), and Darin Thiele (29) for their years of service to the city.
Action Items:
1. Attorney Mark Reedstrom explained that Senate Bill 74 mandates annual reviews of open meeting laws to improve compliance and enhance public understanding. Reedstrom also reviewed the Attorney General’s guidance brochure, which outlines who the open meeting laws apply to, requirements for meeting notifications, executive sessions, and posting of minutes.
2. A motion was made and seconded to approve Resolution 1-12-26, 2026 salaries. Motion carried 5-0.
RESOLUTION 1-12-26
SALARIES 2026
BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Milbank, South Dakota, that the following salaries will be in effect for the second pay period of January 2026 through the first pay period of 2027, except where new employees are hired, and police certification raises are given.
Anderson, Amanda $29.78/hr. Bakeberg, Ryan 32.95. Bass, Thomas 15.79. Bear, Jody 14.65. Bohlen, Jessica 14.84. Boll, Nathan 13.19. Boll, Tracy 18.01. Bostrom, Carl 31.70. Breon, Jeremy 27.99. Carlson, Kim 24.70. Dashiell, Jeannie 14.65. DeVere, Patricia 14.84. Dunnihoo, Macyn 15.79. Durham, Bailee 17.41. Folk, Jake 34.70. Fonder, Elisabeth 14.65. Frink, Judy 16.00. Gapp, Rileigh 15.79. Gertsema-Collins, Rashawn 13.19. Giesen, Mindy 13.19. Hanson, Emmet 14.65. Hanson, Jessica 21.92. Hanson, Nancy 14.65. Hickman, Amanda 14.65. Hillbrands, Ryan 27.57. Hooth, Corey 41.40. Job, Brody 13.19. Johanson, Mya 13.19. Johnson, Angela 15.08. Johnson, Bredon 28.43. Johnson, Keaton 13.19. Johnson, Sara 16.26. Kane, Jesse 22.05. Kowski, Thomas 25.85. Kramber, Brittany 20.90. Landmark, Julie 29.00. Laskowski, Preston 15.79. Lesner, Kiefer 31.95. Loutsch, Jeff 26.85. Meyer, Allie 15.79. Mielitz, Ethan 23.80. Morton, Jesse 35.72. Newstrand, Bill 36.44. Owen, Ethan 13.19. Owen, Jodie 13.19. Parent, Gilchrist 14.84. Pederson, Franklin 15.79. Pendergrass, Makennah 16.64. Pendergrass, Steve 51.03. Pollock, Shelbi 13.19. Poppen, Richard 36.47. Raffety, Layton 25.21. Schamber, Charles 22.96. Schmeig, Tanen 15.79. Schuelke, Kevin 1,662.09/mo. Schumacher, Cynthia 34.97. Schuneman, Melissa 14.65. Seyer, Ethan 15.79. Snaza, Claire 13.19. Thiele, Darin 41.93. VanSambeek, Garrett 30.08. VanVooren, Boyd 37.25. Veen, Carol 16.00. Veen, Dylan 31.34. Weber, Donald 26.40.
Aye: 5
Nay: 0
Absent: Councilman Weinberg
Dated this 12th day of January 2026.
This resolution is effective upon passage.
Pat Raffety, Mayor
ATTEST:
Cynthia Schumacher,
Finance Officer
3. Jason Sackreiter, owner of Valley Rental & Recycling, explained that the county and city previously contributed $7,800 each per year to the recycling program. The County has discontinued its support due to budget limitations. Sackreiter requested a city increase in its monthly contribution from $650 to $900, totaling $10,800 annually.
Sackreiter reported a $16,000 loss on residential recycling last year, though commercial recycling helps offset this deficit. Lower commodity prices and rising costs continue to impact revenue. Participation in the recycling program has increased, with higher volumes reducing landfill trips and supporting compliance with stricter EPA regulations. Currently, only 35 percent of local households are served directly, but community-wide recycling efforts benefit everyone. Sackreiter emphasized that greater participation enhances the program’s sustainability despite ongoing financial challenges.
Council members reviewed the proposed $3,000 annual increase, which would bring the city’s support to $10,800 per year. No decision was made at this meeting; the topic will be revisited next month. Council members expressed appreciation for the recycling program and its value to the community.
4. Administrator Pendergrass reviewed the fee schedule, noting items that should be removed or added. A revised list will be presented to the Council in February.
5. Police Chief Hooth presented a list of traffic signs for review. Related action will be included on the February agenda.
6. Mayor Raffety reported that, through collaboration with Banner Associates and Councilman Karels, the cost of the wastewater project has been reduced to one-third of the initial estimate.
Boyd VanVooren, Corey Hooth, and Jeremy Breon gave council reports.
December Permits: Building: Martin Warehousing-903 Hepper St-commercial warehouse. Keith Pauli-207 Lakeview Dr.-wall stabilization.
December Salaries: Mayor/Council- $2,300. Finance-$24,681. Police-$44,817. Fire-$1,829. Streets-$23,787. Rubble Site-$925. Recreation-$6,403. Pool-$723. Fitness-$5,368. Unity-$10,930. Park-$12,218. Water-$12,530. Sewer-$18,617.
A motion was made and seconded to enter Executive Session under SDCL 1-25-2(1) personnel and 1-25-2(3) legal. Motion carried 5-0.
The Mayor called the council out of executive session.
Adjournment – The next regular meeting is February 9, 2026, at 6 p.m. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The motion carried 5-0.
Pat Raffety, Mayor
ATTEST
Cynthia Schumacher,
Finance Officer
